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Music or lyrics: where do you start?


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I've come at it from both directions, and find that which one you start with radically affects the creative process.

 

If I had to try to put my finger on the biggest discrepancy (for me, anyway) it would be that with music, it invariably begins with a lick or two...where with lyrics I need them to be finished before I start working on the music.

 

dB

:snax:

 

:keys:==> David Bryce Music • Funky Young Monks <==:rawk:

 

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Either.

 

Songs just enter my head spontaneously (don't ask me how, it's a gift).

 

I might hear a melody with a lyric that just fits. Other times a riff might start playing in the radio in my head, I'll write that down and develop lyrics/melody later. Never the same approach.

 

I have a day job as an (non-music) engineer and I always keep staff paper in my desk when those moments of inspiration hit me.

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Instrumentalist here for the most part.

 

50% of the time for me it begins with a concept or an experience. Its a gut thing that I am dwelling on.

I will scribble out some lyrics for parts that ring out. Unfortunately, my singing scares cats.

 

Otherwise, I am jamming on chord progressions and nailing down rhythm as a start.

 

I am talking to vocalist/lyricist but its going slow. Different goals and creative folks have their own vision.

 

 

Why fit in, when you were born to stand out ?

My Soundcloud with many originals:

[70's Songwriter]

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This is sort of the classic songwriting question, and I rarely fit into one camp or the other.

 

Sometimes my song ideas will start with a lick or melody, sometimes a concept or lyric idea. But very often, it's little pieces of both at once, and then I'll jump back and forth between the two as the song develops. I almost never have a complete lyric without any music, or a full song without any lyrics.

 

Now, which is FINISHED first? Almost always the music. The music for the verses repeats, but the lyrics don't; plus, I tweak lyrics endlessly.

Samuel B. Lupowitz

Musician. Songwriter. Food Enthusiast. Bad Pun Aficionado.

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If it's a vocal tune it's much easier for me to have the lyrics first, but it's rare I get 'em that way. Usually someone will come to me with a few changes and a melody/lyric idea and then I help them flush it out. I'll spend some time on it alone and then we'll get together and work out the kinks. I think the only times when I got all the lyrics first was doing ad music. I'm like GregC and for myself I write instrumental things since I don't really sing. Thinking about it...it's been a while since I've even done a vocal with someone, but I do the ad thing and work with vocalists all the time. Kind of goofy though. :)
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It really doesn't matter. In my experience, a song can be written using a wild assortment of procedures.

 

A few examples:

- Write the lyrics for the verse, write the music for that, then write the music for the chorus/hook... and get the inspiration from that for the chorus lyrics. Then build from that point.

- Write the chorus first, complete with lyrics. When you're satisfied, add the part(s) that will lead to that.

- Think of a subject/theme for the song first. Then try to imagine what kind of musical atmosphere would better convey it. With this in mind, start writing bits and pieces of lyrics and music, and go on from there like a puzzle.

- On the contrary, imagine a musical mood - just think of it for a while. Then try to put it into practice by writing the music for a whole part of the song - typically a verse. From there, you can proceed either by writing lyrics for that, or completing the musical part and think about lyrics later.

- No need to be obvious: sometimes, it's very effective to put strong lyrics on a delicate musical bed, for example.

- and - of course! - always write the intro and the coda for last. :)

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I only write instrumentals so that narrows it down a bit ;)

 

Here's a question...am I the only one who "accidentally composes"? I don't think I have ever created a piece of music with forethought...I sit at the keys, pick up the guitar, whatever and noodle. I hit a sound, chord combination, etc. I like and I start to embellish. One thing leads to another and soon I have an unfinished bit of music I store in my hoard :)

 

Bill

http://www.billheins.com/

 

 

 

Hail Vibrania!

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I only write instrumentals so that narrows it down a bit ;)

 

Here's a question...am I the only one who "accidentally composes"? I don't think I have ever created a piece of music with forethought...I sit at the keys, pick up the guitar, whatever and noodle. I hit a sound, chord combination, etc. I like and I start to embellish. One thing leads to another and soon I have an unfinished bit of music I store in my hoard :)

 

Bill

 

You are certainly not alone ;)

 

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I only write instrumentals so that narrows it down a bit ;)

 

Here's a question...am I the only one who "accidentally composes"? I don't think I have ever created a piece of music with forethought...I sit at the keys, pick up the guitar, whatever and noodle. I hit a sound, chord combination, etc. I like and I start to embellish. One thing leads to another and soon I have an unfinished bit of music I store in my hoard :)

 

You are certainly not alone ;)

Not even slightly. Heck, the right program on a synth can do it for me.

 

dB

 

:snax:

 

:keys:==> David Bryce Music • Funky Young Monks <==:rawk:

 

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Heck, the right program on a synth can do it for me.

 

dB

I was just watching this video about Eric Whitacre's composition methods for choir. I had done some of his pieces back in high school, so I was vaguely familiar with his work, but when he talked about how his original inspiration was synthesizers and bands like Depeche Mode, it really clicked for me why he's so fond of colorful pads and clusters. It's very synth-like to just let overtones and harmonic beats sort of wash over you.

 

[video:youtube]

Samuel B. Lupowitz

Musician. Songwriter. Food Enthusiast. Bad Pun Aficionado.

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For me, each song is usually different. It will normally start with a snippet of a melody for a verse or chorus, and oftentimes there's a little lyric phrase along with it. This may or may not be something I want to keep (Like McCartney's "Scrambled Eggs"). This can be a problem, as sometimes once I start singing a "dummy" lyric sometimes it's hard to get it to go away.

 

But once in awhile... actually most of the time, I'll get a part of a chorus or part of a verse and get stuck...so it goes into my "parts" file. A bit of a chorus might go in there, and if I'm really lucky, there might be a bit of a verse on a shelf that goes with it.

 

I really love bootleg recordings of people going through the process... like the old versions of "Child of Nature" by John Lennon, which went on to become "Jealous Guy" This kinda makes me think there's no right way..just what's right for you.

"Cisco Kid, was a friend of mine"
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